Even rich people do not live forever.
—Psalm 49:12
Tom Benson, Richard Devos, Bruce Halle, H. Wayne Huizenga, George Lindemann, Peter Peterson, Imogene Powers Johnson, Leandro Rizzuto, Clemmie Spangler, Joan Tisch.
Do these names ring a bell? They appeared in a sidebar in Forbes magazine’s 2018 issue of The Forbes 400 Ranking of the Wealthiest Americans, under the heading “In Memoriam.” Each had previously made the lofty list, but not this time, because their earthly life had ended in the last year. The richest checked out with a net worth of $5.4 billion, the poorest with $2 billion. Each left life with the same amount as the down-and-out gal living in a refrigerator box under the Buffalo Bayou Bridge.
Death is the great equalizer: it treats rich and poor the same.
Wealth, accepted as stewardship, is a blessing. But earthly and eternal wealth aren’t comparable.
Your worth isn’t measured by what
belongs to you, but to whom you belong.